Thursday, September 24, 2015

Tween Night at Calvert Library Prince Frederick

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Release

 

 

October 1, 2015                                                                                                                              

Contact:  Beverly Izzi

                                                                                                                                     

410-535-0291

 

TWEENS WANTED:

Paws Are Our Cause!

 

 

Do you love animals? Tweens in grades 5th – 7th, this is your opportunity to help local shelter animals in need. Join your friends or make new ones on Thursday, November 5, 2015 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm at Calvert Library Prince Frederick and make fleece braided pull toys for dogs, and snuggly beds for cats. You can make a difference in a shelter pet’s life by volunteering your time at this fun event!

 

Information about other youth volunteer opportunities in our community will be highlighted. Attendees, please bring an unopened bag of dog or cat food, or a clean, gently used towel or blanket. All items will be donated to the Tri-County Animal Shelter.

 

Registration is required for this event. For more information on how to join in on the fun, visit Calvert Library online at calvertlibrary.info or call 410-535-0291.

 

 

 

 

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Beverly Allyn Izzi

Youth Services Coordinator

 

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

Calvert Library

410.535.0291/301.855.1862

Fax 410.535.3022

 

Monday, September 21, 2015

Minecraft at Calvert Library (press release)


Calvert Library is “your destination for imagination, information, inspiration”….and Minecraft?! According to Emilia Lee, Public Services Librarian and head of the Minecraft team, “At Calvert Library we offer Minecraft as a learning tool for our customers. All of our Minecraft events are meant to facilitate learning through trial and error and teamwork.” Thanks to a grant provided by the Division of Library Development and Services through the Maryland State Department of Education, all Calvert Library locations are equipped with Minecraft.edu licenses and servers, and customers can log on to play any time or drop in to one of our special events. 
This fall, Calvert Library Fairview Branch will host weekly drop in events on Monday afternoons from 3:30-5pm.  There will be guided construction and crafting with a different project each week. These events are for beginners and experienced players alike. Bring a friend, or make some new ones. No registration required.
For the uninitiated, Minecraft, a video game reminiscent of Legos, is full of opportunities to manipulate the virtual world around you to create and survive. While Minecraft is a video game, experts (including Calvert Librarians) agree that there is an immense amount of educational value in it. The game requires you to think outside the box and learn how to function in a different world. Minecraft teaches by direct interaction with the player, and once you have learned the basics, you have the freedom to experiment and try anything. Logging into a world that’s in Survival Mode will quickly teach the player about scarcity and the value of a resource rich environment. If the player can’t adapt to the game world quickly enough, they will die. Thankfully, you can always log back in and try again!
Players at the library can be seen working together to build huge structures, fight off monsters, and farm melons in five different worlds the library provides. These activities not only teach spatial awareness, basic circuitry, physics and geometric design, but also collaboration and communication. The library is a strong believer in this kind of supported hands-on learning, providing a chance for players to attempt new things in a space where they can ask for help.  Most librarians aren’t Minecraft experts but they do know how to find the answers. More often than not, other players are the best resource for questions and problems, and thankfully in the library, other players are rarely in short supply.
In John Paul Gee’s article “Good Video Games and Good Learning,” he talks about the value of a game in terms of interaction. “Games do talk back. In fact, nothing happens until a player acts and makes decisions. Then the game reacts, giving the player feedback and new problems.” Minecraft is an excellent example of learning through interactivity. Each game is a constantly evolving tool that develops as you push it, and encourages experimentation, creativity and cooperation.
Stop in to any Calvert Library location for free play, and don’t forget to drop in to the Fairview Branch’s guided building projects on Mondays!  For more information call 410-535-0291.
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Robyn Truslow
Public Relations Coordinator
Calvert Library
850 Costley Way
Prince Frederick, MD  20678
410-535-0291
410-535-3022 (fax)
Calvert Library…Your Source for Awesome!
 

Monday, September 14, 2015

Squishy Circuits - A Tween STEAM Night at Calvert Library Prince Frederick

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Release

 

September 12, 2015                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Contact:  Beverly Izzi
410-535-0291

Tween S.T.E.A.M. Night: Squishy Circuits

 

 

Sculpt, squish, GLOW!

 

At Calvert Library’s Tween S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Night on Thursday, October 1, we’ll be doing all of that and more with 5th through 7th graders.  From 6:30-8:00 pm at Calvert Library Prince Frederick, librarians will turn into scientists and guide tweens in the art of Squishy Circuits.

 

Squishy Circuits, a project originally designed by the Playful Learning Lab at the University of St. Thomas, are an interactive and fun way to experiment with electricity in a safe way.  Tweens at S.T.E.A.M. Night will use conductive and insulating dough and combine them with battery packs to sculpt functioning circuits.  Concepts of insulation, conduction, parallel and series circuits will be introduced.

 

Registration is required.  For more information visit our website at CalvertLibrary.info or call 410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862.

 

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Beverly Allyn Izzi

Youth Services Coordinator

 

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

Calvert Library

410.535.0291/301.855.1862

Fax 410.535.3022

 

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Steamboat Wharves and Landings Boat Trip (press release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Robyn Truslow

410-535-0291

 

September 10, 2015

 

Calvert Library is pleased to announce the next On-the-Go trip will be on the Chesapeake Bay!

Step aboard the headboat “Miss Lizzie” out of the Rod ’N’ Reel Dock for a fascinating step back in time. Dr. Ralph Eshelman, local author and maritime history specialist, will lead a guided tour by boat of several bygone wharves and steamboat landings that once dotted the bay shoreline of Calvert County.

Anne Sundermann will  be available to sign copies of her book,  Harbours, Creekes & Places: The Steamboat Wharves and Landings of Calvert County,  which was based on  Dr. Eshelman’s research.

Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 27, 2-4 pm.  The cost is $32.  You must register and pay in person at any Calvert Library location.  Only 45 tickets will be sold so register soon!

 

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Robyn Truslow

Public Relations Coordinator

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

410-535-0291

410-535-3022 (fax)

Calvert Library…Your Source for Awesome!

 

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Calvert Library partners with End Hunger in Calvert County (press release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Robyn Truslow

410-535-0291

 

September 9, 2015

 

 

CALVERT LIBRARY PARTNERS WITH END HUNGER IN CALVERT COUNTY TO HOST BOOK DISCUSSION AND TEAM BUILDING EXPERIENCE

Event will feature The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and
Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and
food sorting to be distributed to End Hunger Partner Food Pantries


 

Calvert Library has partnered with End Hunger In Calvert County to host a book discussion and volunteer opportunity on Tuesday, September 29 from 7-8:30PM at the End Hunger Warehouse in Prince Frederick. 

 

That evening, individuals will discuss The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by James Brown. Following the discussion participants will then experience first-hand the difference teamwork makes as together they sort food items to distribute to End Hunger Partner Food Pantries.

 

The Boys in the Boat is the book selected for One Maryland One Book this year and the whole state is being asked to read it and talk about it.  According to Calvert Library Director Carrie Plymire, “This year’s book reminds me of several aspects of our new strategic plan.  The theme of teamwork is the obvious conjunction, but The Boys in the Boat also speaks to one of the community needs that we heard while developing our new strategic plan; a desire to give back to the community. It made perfect sense to partner with an organization who can give our customers a chance to contribute to the community through teamwork.”

 

“End Hunger In Calvert County is proud to be partnering with Calvert Library for The Boys in the Boat book discussion,” says Jacqueline Miller, president of End Hunger In Calvert County. “These are the type of community connections that make a charity personal for people. The library is giving individuals the opportunity to participate in a   practical teambuilding experience in a way that makes a difference in their own community.” 

 

Space for the event is limited to 15 people and registration is required.  Recommended for adults and youth ages 14 and up.  To register, go to the Calvert Library website at calvert.lib.md.us/events.html and click on One Maryland One Book or call 410-535-0291 (Location: End Hunger Warehouse, 141 Schooner Lane, Prince Frederick, MD 20678).

 

The Boys in the Boat is a about more than just the 1936 Olympics. It’s a story about the human spirit, overcoming adversity, poverty, hunger, family relationships, romance, and national and world politics. It promises to be an absorbing, worthwhile read even for those who have no interest in the sport of crew.  There are other discussions of the book scheduled throughout September and October.  Monday, September 14 there is one at the Calvert Library Twin Beaches Branch at 7pm.  Tuesday, September 15 there is one at Calvert Library Prince Frederick at 7pm.  There will be a discussion and canoe trip on Sunday, October 11 in partnership with the American Chestnut Land Trust.  Other related writing workshops and discussions take place in October.  Check the library website for details and registration.

 

At the time of press, partners for the event include:

 

Calvert Library:

Calvert Library’s vision is to inspire possibility and their mission is to serve as a gateway to information, imagination and inspiration.  The library empowers individuals by facilitating lifelong learning and strengthens our community by providing opportunities for connection to one another and the world. 

 

End Hunger In Calvert County:

End Hunger In Calvert County is a local charity committed to moving people from dependency to self-sufficiency. Their Culinary Training Program graduates 60 students a year and helps them land a career in the growing Food Service Industry. In addition, End Hunger In Calvert County has 32 Partner Feeding Organizations that serve over 10,000 people a year.

 

 

Maryland Humanities Council:

In its eighth year, One Maryland One Book is designed to bring together diverse people in communities across the state through the shared experience of reading the same book. Readers are then invited to participate in book-centered discussions and other associated programs at public libraries, high schools, colleges and universities, museums, bookstores, and community and senior centers.

 

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Robyn Truslow

Public Relations Coordinator

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

410-535-0291

410-535-3022 (fax)

Calvert Library…Your Source for Awesome!

 

Thursday, September 3, 2015

New Downloadables Accessible with Calvert Library Card (press release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Robyn Truslow

410-535-0291

 

Calvert Library Partners with Hoopla Digital to Give Customers Immediate Online and Mobile Access to Free Movies, Music, eBooks and More

 

Library card-holders can instantly explore, borrow and enjoy dynamic content on their smartphones, tablets and PCs

 

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. (Sept. 3, 2015) Calvert Library today announced public availability of thousands of movies, television shows, music albums, eBooks, audiobooks and comics, all available for mobile and online access through a new partnership with hoopla digital (hoopladigital.com).

 

Calvert Library card holders can now download the free hoopla digital mobile app on their Android or IOS device or visit hoopladigital.com to begin enjoying thousands of artists and titles – from major Hollywood studios, record companies and publishers – available to borrow 24/7, for instant streaming or temporary downloading to their smartphones, tablets, computers and Apple TV.  At this time, Calvert Library is allowing customers to borrow up to six hoopla items a month.

 

“We’re thrilled to have expanded the educational and recreational content available to the community,” said Carrie Plymire, Director of Calvert Library. “Partnering with hoopla digital allows customers access to a broad collection of popular and niche titles. Your library card connects you to this content via the hoopla app or website – free of charge. Plus with hoopla content, there is no waiting period for popular titles and the service’s automatic return means no late fees.”

 

Calvert Library is the eighth library system in the state of Maryland to partner with hoopla digital. Current partners include St. Mary’s County Library, Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, Montgomery County Memorial Library System, Harford County Public Library, Carroll County Public Library, Howard County Library and Cecil County Public Library.

 

Jeff Jankowski founder and owner of hoopla digital said, “With hoopla digital, it is our mission to empower the evolution of public libraries while helping them to meet the needs of the mobile generation. We’ve worked for years to create a best-in-breed service that is fun, fast and reliable.  And we continue to secure content deals to expand our offering of popular and niche movies, TV shows, music, eBooks, audiobooks and comics.”

 

For more information about this new service from Calvert Library, call Robyn Truslow at 410-535-0291. 

 

About hoopla digital

hoopla digital is a category-creating service that partners with public libraries across North America to provide online and mobile access to thousands of Movies, TV Shows, Music, eBooks, Audiobooks and Comics. With hoopla digital, customers can borrow, instantly stream and download free dynamic content with a valid library card. All content is accessible via hoopla digital’s mobile app and online at www.hoopladigital.com. hoopla digital is a service of Midwest Tape – a trusted partner to public libraries for over 25 years.

 

For more information, please contact 800-875-2785 (US) or 866-698-2231 (Canada).

 

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Robyn Truslow

Public Relations Coordinator

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

410-535-0291

410-535-3022 (fax)

Calvert Library…Your Source for Awesome!